Bomb Threats Force Evacuations In Russian World Cup Host City

Police in Russia temporarily evacuated multiple locations in the World Cup host city of Rostov-on-Don early Wednesday morning after a series of bomb threats were reported. The venues included restaurants, bars and the Topos Congress-Hotel, where its 200-plus guests were evacuated from the building.

“On June 26, police received a series of phone calls about explosives planted at locations in Rostov-on-Don,” local police said in a statement reported by Reuters. “Police forces made all the necessary checks and no dangerous objects were found. Currently, all the venues are operating normally.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the city played host to a FIFA World Cup Group D matchup between Croatia and Iceland, which group winner Croatia won 2-1 at Rostov Arena, located about 3 miles from the hotel.

The next World Cup match in the city is Monday in the knockout phase of the tournament.

Several media outlets reported that no soccer teams were staying at the hotel, though it is listed on FIFA’s official website.

Rostov-on-Don is located about 600 miles south of Russia’s capital Moscow, near the Russian border with eastern Ukraine. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict had led to security concerns ahead of the World Cup that began July 14.